Hypermiling

I’ve been “hypermiling” for about six weeks now and I have to say, I highly recommend it. Before I started, the old Toyota was getting about 25 mpg running around town. (It used to get as much as 35 mpg on long highway trips.) But now, I’m getting 30 to 32 mpg on my daily commute. So what is hypermiling? Basically, driving slower. I never exceed 55. Why does this work? Because cars are really not at all aerodynamic, and once you get above 55 mph, your engine has to work much harder against the wind. Do I get tailgaters and other annoyed people around me on the road? Sure. But I don’t care. It’s a wonderfully Zen way to drive. Once you resign yourself to being passed on all sides, to feeling that you’re always going “slow,” once you get over it, it’s very relaxing. I’m much calmer in the car now, and feel very relaxed compared to the stress of trying to maneuver and merge and dance around other cars at 75 mph.

By the way, there are many other hypermiling techniques, like putting it in neutral to coast down hills in idle, or even turning off the engine!

So everyone…drive slower!